Reconstruction after mastectomy.

Abstract

Advances in materials and techniques, especially those involving transposition of muscle and skin flaps, have made breast reconstruction possible for most women who undergo mastectomy for breast cancer. The availability of this option can alleviate the breast and chest wall deformity that results from virtually all local treatment of breast cancer. It is essential that the reconstruction surgeon be part of the breast cancer management team from the beginning of treatment planning and that this surgeon work closely with the general surgeon, medical oncologist, and radiation therapist as well as the adjunctive treatment team members. The patient's clinical status and the type of local treatment will be significant determinants of the reconstructive options. For women with stage I breast cancer, these decisions may be based largely on the oncologist's local and adjunctive therapy procedures and the woman's desire to proceed or delay. For women with systemic disease, all members of the breast management team may need to agree on the advisability and timing of reconstruction. Central to all of the numerous decisions described in this paper regarding the timing, type, and extent of breast reconstruction is the primary goal of the entire team: the best possible management of the breast cancer itself. The promise of attractive, symmetric, and natural appearing breasts, complete with a symmetric nipple-areolar complex, has eased somewhat the diminishment of self-esteem and the threat to femininity that can accompany the loss of a breast. By lowering fear, the widely recognized availability of breast reconstruction may encourage more women to monitor their breasts and seek diagnosis of changes and may influence selection of the type of local treatment if cancer is detected. Because of the psychological and cultural significance of the breast, the reconstructive surgeon must be particularly sensitive to the psychological and aesthetic expectations of the patient. Even in those patients with metastases and limited life expectancy, breast reconstruction can enhance the quality of life.